Winter habitat and distribution of the endangered golden-cheeked warbler (Dendroica chrysoparia)

The golden-cheeked warbler (Dendroica chrysoparia) is an endangered Neotrop ical migrant that breeds in oak (Quercus)/juniper (Juniperus) habitat of th e Edwards Plateau in central Texas. Recently work has been done on the fact ors affecting breeding populations of this species, but little is known abo ut winter habitat use or distribution. We used extensive field surveys in H onduras and Guatemala to obtain locational information, which was used with topographical and remote sensing data, to identify and calculate the amoun t of suitable habitat available, and to map the species' distribution in th e region. Most individuals were found in pine-oak from 1100-2400 m ((x) ove r bar = 1651 (+/- 246) m) in elevation, a habitat type that occupied 29.8% of the total land area above 914 m in the region investigated. Based on thi s information and existing locational data from the literature, we present a map of the winter range for the golden-cheeked warbler. Threats to the sp ecies during this period of the life cycle include logging, burning and cle aring for pasture and agriculture.